Coke – they already had an empire, but…
No matter how big you are, no matter how much you spend, and even if you are the best marketers on the planet; you cannot bend the consumer to your will.
What the Bible teaches us about advertising
There is a natural order with advertising and time in the first 40 weeks. Respect it and win. Abuse it and risk wandering the desert.
Learning from the Legends: What Can’t be Questioned?
Immediately following the launch of the Mr. Whipple campaign Charmin displaced Scott as the #1 brand in America.
Will Advertising Sell What People Don’t Want?
It's a common desire in retail to advertise the things which aren’t selling and let those which will sell easily sell themselves.
Gaggia Espresso Machines had a problem
This is a lesson of overcoming resistance to new innovations. What to do with unwanted oily film? The answer built an empire and even changed how fine espresso is judged.
The Biggest Waste in Advertising (a Case Study)
Advertising in the bigger community to draw customers to your smaller community is as futile as trying to make the water in a river defy gravity.
“Emotional” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means
“Emotional campaigns are 30% more likely than rational campaigns to show large profit effects" — Binet & Field, The Long and Short of It
They wanna lock up Big Don
Donny is so popular in his town folks set up a Facebook page in his honor. The old woman next door doesn’t like him. Actually, she hates him.
The birth of Play-doh. A cleaning agent becomes a toy.
Observing how your customer is using your products can lead to new product ideas and maybe even save your company.
Persuading Individuals vs. Persuading the Crowd — Why Not Both?
We are social creatures, and what others think and believe profoundly affects what we think and believe.
Get rid of all the bells and whistles. The Birth of the Sony Walkman
It lacked all the things people wanted but gave them one thing they had not thought about. And a star is born.
Zen and the Art of Persuasion. Part 3 of 3
People avoid risk on three levels. The biggest risk is that they’ll purchase the wrong solution – that they’ll have spent the money and still have the problem.
Customers Of The Month gave me something I never expected
After six months, employees were recognizing each other with little compliments. Staff retention was rising. Sales were up 43% at the end of the year.
Retailers Beware!
This is a departure. In this episode, Stephen Semple shares trends that he is seeing that are being embraced by retailers. Trends that are dangerously wrong.
How to Steal Your Competitor’s Customers. Part 2 of 3
Is this a good ad? Does it make you want to buy a can of John’s Tomato Juice? A good ad would.